It was the third straight victory at Europeans for the pair, who scored 199.07 total points.

Their 132.32 points in the free program, skating to the motion picture soundtrack Schindler's List and Albinoni's "Adagio," was a season best as it was for the top five couples.

The couple completed a triple toe loop-triple toe loop sequence at the start of the program and a nice triple twist, but Szolkowy doubled his planned triple Salchow on their next side-by-side jumps, their only error.

They also did a throw triple flip and ended with a throw triple Salchow.

"We wanted to attack today and we did that," Szolkowy said. "I was sorry I doubled the Salchow. I was maybe too focused and wanted it too much."

Russia's Yuko Kawaguchi and Alexander Smirnov, who skated to Leoncavallo's "I Pagliacci," jumped from third in the short to win the silver medal with 182.77 points, only .70 ahead of third place.

They had a score of 117.39 points in the free program but were marked down on their first three elements.

On the opening side-by-side triple toe loop-triple toe loop sequence, Kawaguchi was leaning forward on the second jump, then they under-rotated the triple Lutz twist lift. She landed the throw quadruple Salchow but it was two-footed.

"That's just what I told Yuko," Smirnov said. "We'll move up one spot each year so it will be even better next year. Once again she landed the quad Salchow and soon it will be on one foot."

"In general, we are satisfied with our performance," Volosozhar said. "I'm a bit sorry for the jumps, usually I never do that."

Russians Lubov Iliushechkina and Nodari Maisuradze, skating to a selection of music by Edvin Marton, scored 95.42 points to finish fifth in the long program. Their total of 147.84 points placed them fifth overall in their first European Championships.

Iliushechkina missed the second jump in their planned triple toe-double toe sequence, then missed her side-by-side double Axel and fell on the throw triple Lutz.

"It is just crazy to miss elements like that," Maisuradze said. "But the mistakes are only on Lubov's jumps, otherwise we do most of the elements more or less cleanly. We can fight on the highest level."

Italy's Nicole Della Monica and Yannick Kocon placed sixth in the free and overall with 89.83 and 135.33 points respectively.

They landed a solid throw triple flip and throw triple Salchow and a double flip-double toe loop combination in their program to Ennio Morricone's The Mission.